It's hot, dang hot! Africa hot! Tarzan couldn't take this kind of heat! This paraphrase of probably the only memorable quote from the movie Biloxi Blues needs no explanation, especially if you have ever tried to accomplish anything outdoors in a southern state in the middle of the summer heat. We have all experienced moments where this quote could be used. Whether on the golf course, sitting in a baseball stadium, sitting on the sidelines while your child is playing soccer, mowing the grass, an outdoor wedding, changing a flat tire, or the like, there are just times that are almost unbearable.
However, if you are an outdoors type of person and you refuse to be imprisoned in your nice air-conditioned home by the summer heat, you most likely have had, and will have, moments when you simply need some relief. People have found themselves in these situations time and time again. Hence, a typical scene in western movies is a sweat drenched, dusty cowboy dunking his head into the horse trough to cool down. This may seem like a refreshing step but, if you have ever raised horses, you will appreciate that a horse trough is certainly no place to be sticking your head. In fact, choosing between the options of a heat stroke or sticking your face into the slimy, grime that floats around in a horse trough is a tough call.
Other, less dramatic techniques have also been employed such as, seeking the shade of a tree, building a fan by folding a piece of paper, putting a cold beverage to your forehead, running through the water sprinklers, retreating to an air-conditioned room, stepping in front of a fan, or wetting a towel to put over the back of your neck.
The human body also has its own solution—sweat glands (or if you are a lady, glow glands). It is well known that as a liquid evaporates, it helps to eradicate heat. This is the purpose of your sweat—it helps to keep your body cool. As sweat evaporates from the surface of your skin, excess heat is removed and as a result, you are cooled. This phenomenon is based on the principle in physics which basically states that a certain amount of heat needs to be applied to a liquid in order for that liquid to evaporate—pass from a liquid form to a vaporous or gaseous form. This amount of heat is referred to as the heat of vaporization. The basis of this principle is that as the heat energy increases the speed of the water molecules also increase. Once the speed of the water molecules reaches a certain speed, they can escape into the air. The heat energy for this process is provided by your body. Thus, the heat used to evaporate sweat is then used up which in turn operates to cool your body down.
This all works quite well in a nice dry environment, however, when you are in a highly humid environment, things begin to break down. First of all, the air in a highly humid environment is already near saturation and thus, cannot absorb much additional water vapor. Thus, the sweat cannot evaporate and you remain hot, and now, a sweaty mess.
The troubles one finds in the heat of the summer don't stop there. First of all, as bacteria on your skin mixes with your sweat, you begin to emit noxious odors. Furthermore, the bugs and insects that once would hit and bounce off of you now have a tendency to hit and stick.
Trying to stay in such conditions is not only a matter of comfort. As salt and sodium exits your body in your sweat, you can quickly dehydrate which can lead to circulatory problems and heat stroke. It is important to ensure that you do not overheat, especially in hot humid environments. Thus, there is a need in the art for a device to assist in the cooling down of an individual.
Because many of the activities that occur outside are athletic in nature, it is not convenient to carry around products typically necessary to help a person stay cool, such as fans, ice, etc. Thus, there is a need in the art for a device that is compact, easy to carry and assists in the cooling down of an individual. Further, corporate and promotional events are often centered around outdoor activities such as a golf tournament, a concert, or a resort. Consequently, there is a need for corporate sponsors to offer their invitees an inexpensive, sanitary, and convenient way to cool off, repel insects, and stay productive while capitalizing on the opportunity to build and enhance brand awareness through a simultaneous dissemination of a trademark, banner, or logo.
Other issues that arise in the summer outdoors can also be a nuisance. For instance, if you go too far south in the state of Georgia, you cross the well known Gnat Line. Below the Gnat Line one is constantly attacked by what some refer to as the Confederate Air Force designed to keep the Yankees away. The fact of the matter is, however, that in the southern states, insects are more prevalent. And to further exasperate matters, most insects, especially gnats, are attracted to moisture. As a result, your sweaty face gets bombarded by a host of gnats. It would be of great benefit to have a device that not only cools a person down but that also could help to alleviate the nuisance from insects. Moreover, while gnats are truly annoying, a device with an insect repellant property is even more desirable when one considers the need to keep more sinister insects at bay, such as mosquitoes, which are prone to carrying and transmitting disease.
In addition, as the world gets educated on the dangers of exposing your skin to the ultraviolet light of the sun, products with an associated Sun Protection Factor (SPF) have grown in popularity. Applying SPF rated products to the skin is imperative if you are working outdoors and prone to getting sunburns. Thus, it would be beneficial for a cooling device to also provide the application of an SPF rated product to the skin.
Part of feeling refreshed obviously includes smelling fresh. Thus, it would be beneficial for a cooling device to also provide a fresh scent to an individual.
Also, because many people have skin prone to drying and cracking, it would be beneficial for a cooling device to provide a means of skin rehydrating and softening.
The various embodiments, features and aspects of the present invention, either by themselves or in conjunction with each other, address each of these needs in the art, as well as other needs in the art as described herein.